Retaining-valve.



' N0. 706,867. Patented Aug.. I2, |902. W. V. TURNER &. F'. C. FABUUHARSN.

RETAINING VALVE.

(Applicnzian med :une 26, 1901.)

UNITED @rares nrnivfr OFFICE.

VALTER VICTOR TURNER AND IIRANKLIN CLAYTON FARQUIIARSON, OF RATON, 'TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO, ASSIGNORS TO TIIE RATON AIR BRAKE IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, OF RATON, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

RETAI N5! N GmVLVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 706,867, dated August 12, 1902.

Application lled June Z6, 1901. Serial No. 66,137. (No model.)

.To @ZZ wwm, it may concern: ring D as a bearing, and said boss C is formed Beit known that we, IVALTER VICTOR TUR- in its top with a recess engaged by the lower NER and FRANKLIN OLAYTONFARQUHARSON, end of the valve-stem E of a release-valve E, citizens of the United States, and residents of which when the brakes are chargedis seated 5 Raton, in the county of Colfax, Territory of on a Valve-seat B4', formed in the bottom B3, 55

New Mexico, have invented a new and Imand serves to connect the interior of the secproved Retaining-Valve, of which the followtion B with the interior of the section A at ing is a full, clear, and exact description. the time the valve E is off its seat. When The invention relates to` iiuid -pressure this Vtakes place, the exhaust from the triple 1o brakes of the Vestinghouse type; and its obvalve can pass from the section B through 6o ject is to provide anew and improved retainthe valve -seat B4 into the section A and ing-valve connected with the auxiliary resthrough a port a in the side thereof to the ervoir and the exhaust of the triple valve outer air to completely release the brake-cyland completely under the control of the eninder of its pressure.

I5 gineer, so that the latter may at all times The release-valve E is held normally to its 65 know Whether the retainers are all on oroff, seat by a graduated spring F, the lower end the arrangement being such that the brakes of which rests on the top of the valve E and are uniformly applied on all the cars in a abuts with its other end against an adjustingtrain, and sliding of the wheels is largelyprenut G, screwing in the top of the section B zo vented, as the engineer cannot apply more and locked in place by a cap-nut G, screw- 7o then the maximum pressure to which the reing on the nut G as a jam-nut. 'The nut G lease-valves are set. also forms a bearing for the upper end of the The invention consists of novel features valve-stem E2 of the valve E and around and parts and combinations of the same, as which stem the spring E is coiled. By adjust- 2 5 will be fully described hereinafter and then ing the nut G in the section B the tension of 75 pointed out in the claims. the spring F can be regulated so as to hold A practical embodiment of the invention is the valve E with a desired pressure to its seat, represented in the accompanying drawings, and when the pressure in the auxiliary resforming a part of this specification, in which fervoir exceeds the pressure to which the spring 3o similar characters of reference indicate cor- F is set then the preponderance of pressure 8o responding parts in both the views. against the under side of the diaphragm C Figure l is a sectional elevation of the imcauses an upward movement thereof to lift provement on the line l l in Fig. 2, and Fig. the valve E off its seat BL1 and allow the air 2 is a plan view of the same. from the brake-cylinder to escape by Way of 35 The casing of the retaining-valve consists, the seat B4 and port a, as previously men- S5 essentially,of the sections A and B,screwed or tioned. otherwise fastened together andof which the On the section B is arranged a retainersection A is connected at its bottom at A' with valve having a casing II and a valve I, movan auxiliary reservoir and the section B is able therein and pressed by a coil-spring .I

4o connected at its side at B with the exhaust upon a seat b, connecting the interior of the 9o of the triple valve. In the section A is arsection B with the casing H. A port cleads ranged a diaphragm C, held in position by a from the casing II to the atmosphere, so that ring D, engaged on top by depending lugs B2, when the valve I is moved off its seat b then formed on the under side of the bottom B3 escape of air from the exhaust of the triple 45 of the section B, so that when the latter is valve can take place by way of the section B, 95 screwed on the section Asaid lugs B2 engage the seat o, casing H, and port c, the valve I the ring D and lock the latter in position to closing as soon as the pressure in the brakehold the diaphragm in place in the section A. cylinder has been reduced to that to which On the top of the diaphragm C is arranged a the spring J is set to prevent further escape 5o boss C, mounted to slide on the inside of the of air from the brake-cylinder, except by way Ioo of the release-valve E. A cap K serves to close the casing H and also permits of settingthe spring J to a desired predetermined pressure, said spring J resting with its lower end on a collar I', formed on the valve I, and the said spring rests with its upper end on the cap K. f

The operation is as follows: It is understood that the tension of the springs F and J, and consequently the resistance to the air-pressure, is arbitrary; but it is assumed that the springs operate according to standard pressure-seventy pounds in the train-line and fifteen pounds to be retained in the brakecylinder by the retaining-valve. Now when the device is in use and attached as described and the spring F is set to a tension, say, of fifty-three pounds and the spring J to a tension of fifteen pounds then when the pressure in the train-pipe and the auxiliary reservoir reaches fifty-three pounds the pressure on the diaphragm C forces the latter upward and lifts the valve E oif its seat B4, as previously described, to allow escape of air from the brake-cylinder through the valve-seat B4 and the port a, as previously mentioned. The several parts will remain in this position until an application of the brakes is made by the engineer and through which application a reduction of pressure in the train-line is had to below fifty-three pounds, so that the spring F will move the valve E to its seat, and the diaphragm C is returned to its lowermost position. When the brakes are released by the pressure in the train-pipe being increased, then the released air from the brake-cylinder will flow through the triple-valve exhaust-port into the section B, and as this pressure is nowin excess Iof the fifteen pounds to which the spring J is set it is evident that the valve I is raised and air escapes by way of the valve-seat b, casing H, and port c until the pressure in the brakecylinder is a little less than fifteen pounds, when the valve I will close and fifteen pounds pressure will be retained in the brake-cylinder. When the engineer has placed the valve in a release position and desires to retain fifteen pounds pressure in the brake-cylinder, he immediately returns the engineers valve to running position and watches the gage unn til the latter shows a pressure in the trainpipeofftyseven pounds. Asitnowrequires fifty-eight pounds to lift the valve E off its seat, it will be seen that the brakes are not entirely released when the brake cylinder pressure is reduced to fifteen pounds. The object of returning the engineers valve to a running position is that in this position the increase in train-line pressure will be more gradual, and thus allow the engineer to have the increase of pressure under better control, for if the engineer would permit the auxiliary reservoir to charge about fifty-seven pounds then the release-valve would lift and the fifteen pounds pressure held by the retainer would escape. In the rst instance there is supposed to be no air in section B,

as there has been no exhaust from the triple valve, and consequently no back pressure on the valve E, Whereas in the second instance it is supposed that a sufficient reduction of pressure in the auxiliary reservoir has been made to throw the retaining-valve in operation and that the valve E `has taken its seat and in an attempt to recharge the auxiliary reservoir a release of brakes has been made, and consequently an exhaust of air from the brake -cylinder through the triple valve into the section B. This exhaust-pressure as retained by the Valve I is exerted against the Valve E, the seat of which is made in such proportion to the pressure retained as to receive a pressure additional to the tension of the spring F of five pounds or whatever desired. As soon as the pressure reaches fifty-seven pounds the engineer moves the valve into lap position and leaves it there until he desires to make either another application of the brakes or wishes to throw oi the retainer and release the brakes entirely. Now in case the engineer Wishes to make another application of the brakes the engineers valve is first moved into service position and the engineer makes Whatever reduction he desires and sets the brakes correspondingly. In case the engineer makes a sufficient reduc-- tion from the fifty-seven pounds to give equalization between the auxiliary reservoirs and the brake-cylinders he has set the brakes at about fifty pounds to the square inch, and thus he obtains approximately the same braking power as he would with seventy pounds of air in the reservoirs and no retaining-valves in use. Fifteen pounds of pressure is always maintained in the brake-cylinder unless a complete release is had on treating the valve E, as previously explained. In case the en-` gineer does not desire to make another application of the brakes, but wishes to entirely release the same, then he moves the engineers valve into release position until the pressure in the auxiliary reservoir rises to fifty-eight pounds, so that the pressure on the diaphragm C causes the valve E to be lifted from its seat, and all the air is discharged from the brakecylinder to the atmosphere by way of the seat B4 and the port ct. Thus it will be seen that the engineer can make applications of air to the brakes as he desires, ranging from fifteen pounds pressure held by the retaining-valve to a full service application and recharge the auxiliary reservoir to fifty-seven pounds, or the engineer can release all the brakes, if he so desires, as the range of pressure required to hold the retaining-valves on or to throw them off is only about one to two pounds above Iiftyseven pounds, and as usually ninety pounds of air-pressure is maintained in the reservoir on the engine it is evident that he has much more reserve pressure than when he has to operate the brakes with a seventy-pound train-line pressure, as heretofore practiced. By the arrangement described the retaining-valves on the several cars of the IOO IIO

train are all either on or oit at the same time, and the engineer isV aware of this and can make the applications properly, as required. After the rst application of the brakes it is not necessary to recharge the train-line t0 seventy pounds pressure, as fifty-seven pounds applied on the system having the retainingvalve is equal to seventy pounds Without retainingvalves, and consequently the airpump is not required to do so much work as is necessary for the ordinary arrangement.

The danger ofsliding of the Wheels is greatly reduced, as the engineer cannot apply pressure'above the maximum pressure to which the release-valves are set, as it is evident that it' the engineer permits the train-line to charge above titty-eight pounds the release-valves all release; but if he puts on lap at iiftyseven pounds and has to apply the brakes again then he will obtain a full service application or whatever he may desire on all cars alike instead of an emergency pressure on some of the cars and service pressure on others.

From the foregoing it is understood that the engineer cannot get a pressure in the brake-cylinder above that at Which the pressure held in the brake-cylinder by the retainer will equalize at with the maximum pressure to be carried in the auxiliary reservoir and still hold the retainers on. Thus fifty pounds being the standard pressure allowed in the brakecylinder for a service application of the brakes the fifteen pounds held in the brake-cylinder by the retainer Will equalize with fty-seven pounds held in the auxiliary reservoir as the maximum pressure and still hold the retainers 0n at approxi mately fifty pounds.

Having thus fully described our invention, We claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent l. A retaining-valve connectedWith the exhaust of the triple valve and the auxiliary reservoir, and comprising a diaphragm under pressure of the auxiliary reservoir, a release-valve controlled by the diaphragm, for releasing all the pressure from the brake-cylindor, and a graduated retainer-valvc controlling some oi the triple-valve exhaustpressure to the atmosphere, as set forth.

2. A retaining-valve comprising a casing having a triple-valve exhaust-section and an auxiliary-reservoir section having a port to the atmosphere, a graduated release-valve controlling a seat between the said sections, a diaphragm in the auxiliary-reservoir section and under pressure ot the auxiliary reservoir to control the said release-valve and a graduated retainer-valve in the said triplevalve exhaust-section for exhausting some of the tri ple-valve exhau st-pressure to the atmosphere, as set forth.

3. A retaining-valve connected with the exhaust of the triple valve and the auxiliary reservoir, and comprising a diaphragm un der pressure of the auxiliary reservoir, a release-valve controlled by the diaphragm, for releasing all the pressure from the brakecylinder, and a graduated retainer valve controlling some of the triple-valve exhaustpressure to the atmosphere, said retainervalve being pressed by a graduated spring and controlling a discharge to the atmosphere, as set forth. i

4. A retaining-valve connected with the exhaust of the triple Valve and the auxiliary reservoir, comprising a graduated releasevalve and a graduated retainer-valve, of Which the graduated release-valve is controlled by auxiliary-reservoir pressure and the retainer-valve opens to the atmosphere under brake-cylinder pressure until the latter is reduced to the pressure to which the retainer-valve is set and the said graduated release-valve opens to completely exhaust the brake-cylinder pressure on recharging the auxiliary reservoir, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WALTER VICTOR TURNER. FRANKLIN CLAYTON FARQUIIARSON.

Vitnesses:

EERT DUDLEY, J. F. WHITE. 

